According to a new study, air pollution from cruise ships should be viewed much more critically than before – according to a new study by Transport & Environment.
According to the study, toxic air pollutants from cruise ships near ports are higher than before the pandemic, leaving Europe’s port cities suffocating in air pollution, the new research shows.
Despite the upper limit for sulfur, in 2022 as much sulfur oxides (SOx) were emitted as 1 billion passenger cars
Despite the introduction of the UN Maritime Authority’s sulfur cap in 2020, Europe’s 218 cruise ships emitted as much sulfur oxides (SOx) last year as a billion cars.
Ban on large cruise ships in effect
However, in the port of Venice, air pollution from cruise ships fell by 80% after the city imposed a ban on large cruise ships. This shows that tackling air pollution is possible, according to T&E, which is calling for more electrification of ports to save lives.
Constance Dijkstra, Campaigns Manager for Shipping at T&E, said: “The pandemic has given port cities some breathing space, but that is now finally over. Cruises are on the rise again, and tourist hotspots like Barcelona and Athens are once again choking on toxic air pollution from cruise ships.
Venice has shown that it is possible to tackle cruise ship pollution, but bans are not the only way. Ports can significantly reduce pollution by forcing ships to refuel in port instead of running their engines and by supporting the adoption of zero-emission fuels.”
9% increase in SOx emissions
Compared to 2019, the number of cruise ships, the time they spend in ports and the fuel they use have increased by about a quarter (23% to 24%). This resulted in a 9% increase in SOx emissions, 18% in NOx emissions and 25% in PM2.5 emissions – three toxic air pollutants.
SOx limits for cars in Europe 100 times stricter than for ships
Barcelona was Europe’s most polluted port last year, followed by Civitavecchia, a coastal port northwest of Rome, and the Athens port of Piraeus. In Barcelona, the cruise ships emitted almost three times more SOx than all the cars in the city. The SOx limits for cars in Europe are 100 times stricter than for ships¹.